Cars / Group 3A / AU I Falcon
Ford · Group 3A
AU I Falcon
1999-2000 · 32/41 specifications catalogued
The Ford AU Falcon in its original shark-fin form (AU I) was the car Ford debuted in 1999 and ran into early 2000, before the mid-2000 parity change produced the AU II. It replaced the EL Falcon and is a distinct aero state, never merged with AU II.
The shark-fin front
AU I ran the original shark-fin front. In side silhouette the AU's basic body shape was close to an aircraft wing, which generated aerodynamic lift at racing speed and left the Falcon at a high-speed disadvantage to the VT Commodore. That deficit is what triggered the mid-2000 parity fix that became AU II; mechanically the two AU states are identical, only the front aero differs.
Engine & driveline
The AU carried the Group 3A Ford 5.0-litre Windsor-based V8, naturally aspirated to the regulated 7500 rpm at a 10:1 compression limit and quoted around 480 kW / 620+ bhp (a 2004-spec figure). Engine management was a free MoTeC system (M4 / M48 family) in this pre-control-ECU era. Drive ran through the Holinger six-speed to a Ford nine-inch live axle with a fabricated, fixed-ratio crown wheel and pinion on the control 3.25 / 3.5 / 3.7 final-drive set. The AU used a double-wishbone front (against the Commodore's strut) and a live rear axle located by four links and a Watts linkage.
Brakes, wheels & tyres
The works/2004-spec car ran AP six-piston monoblock front calipers on ~375 mm discs and AP four-piston rears on ~340 mm discs — but brake make varied by team. Wheels were Speedline 17 × 11 in on the works car, again with the supplier varying by team (Speedline, O.Z. and others). The tyre was the single-make Bridgestone control (1999–2001) and category minimum weight was 1350 kg. Published 1632 / 1610 mm track figures are quarantined (CON-001) and are not accepted as wheel-centre track.
For its championship record see the 1999 and 2000 seasons. Sources: verified spec catalog (2002 official / 2004 AVESCO AU specs) + AU model-state records / V8 Supercars Physics Handbook (N. Higginson) — Grade B/D.
Technical specification
Grouped by system. Every value carries its confidence grade and source.
confirmedperiod-verifiedbridge refunknownquarantined
Category 1/2
Formula designation
Group 3A - 5.0L V8 Touring Car (V8 Supercar) period-verified
Category formula designation (era-based)
Series & administration
— unknown
Engine 8/8
Displacement
5.0 L confirmed
Div C Technical Rules (2003, harvested): max engine capacity 5000cc; formula continuous from the period ; CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, Group 3A / 5.0L Touring Car technical regs (period 1993-2001; physical Manuals, confirmed by N. Higginson 2026-08) · 5000 cc max period-confirmed across 1993-2001 by the CAMS Manuals (Group 3A regs), continuous into 2002 - no longer only the 2003 bridge.
Configuration
90-degree V8 period-verified
Group 3A formula
Induction
Naturally aspirated; fuel injection standard from 1993 period-verified
Group 3A formula; V8 Sleuth; V8 Supercars Physics Handbook (N. Higginson) ; CAMS Manual (NA only; no water injection; no moveable induction device; carb/EFI unrestricted) · Exception: the 1993 Moffat Cenovis EB ran a Holman & Moody carburettor before switching to EFI in 1994 CAMS Manual (Grade A, BLANKET rule 1993-2002): engine must be NATURALLY ASPIRATED (forced induction prohibited); water injection prohibited; NO device may alter the manifold/induction/exhaust configuration while the engine runs (moveable inlet rams / variable-length trumpets banned - FIXED trumpets are legal). Induction TYPE was NOT restricted in 1993 - the Manual does not mandate EFI or ban carburettors, so both were legal (the 1993 Moffat Cenovis carburettor was legal); EFI became the universal team choice, reflected in the 2002 Div C approved-injector list.
Power (est.)
480 kW / 620+ bhp @ 7500 rpm bridge ref
2004 AVESCO AU spec (RA-011) · 2004 value
Max engine speed
7500 (regulated limit) rpm confirmed
Div C Technical Rules C 6.6.1 (2003, harvested): controlled 7500 rpm limit ; CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, Group 3A / 5.0L Touring Car technical regs (period; physical Manuals held by N. Higginson, read 2026-08) · 7500 rpm rev limit period-confirmed across 1993-2002 (CAMS Manuals, Grade A) - no longer only the 2003 bridge.
Compression ratio
10:1 confirmed
Div C Technical Rules C 6.2.1 (2003, harvested): compression ratio must not exceed 10.0:1; V8 Supercars Physics Handbook (N. Higginson) ; CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, Group 3A / 5.0L Touring Car technical regs (period 1993-2001; physical Manuals, confirmed by N. Higginson 2026-08) · 10:1 max compression period-confirmed across the CAMS Manual era (1993-2001).
Engine management
MoTeC (M4 / M48 family) period-verified
MoTeC hardware; electronics finding ; CAMS Manual (engine management free, no control ECU pre-2003) · 2003+ used a control ECU (RA-015) MoTeC obsolete-product part numbers: M4 = 11001, M48 = 11002, M8 = 11003. Adoption timing: Ford Tickford Racing switched Seton's works AU to MoTeC engine management + data acquisition (MoTeC dash, real-time pit telemetry) after the 1999 Queensland 500, mapping it at a pre-Bathurst Calder test - i.e. the works AU moved to the (now-reference) MoTeC package mid-1999. Exact ECU/logger/dash/telemetry models unresolved (period report, Grade B/C). Engine management was FREE - NO control ECU (CAMS Manual, Grade A; free from 1993). Team choice (MoTeC, Autronic, etc.) - which is why teams ran different ECUs; the TEGA control ECU only came in 2003. So an ECU value here is the team's chosen unit, not a mandated one. Driver AIDS BANNED (CAMS Manual, Grade A, blanket 1993-2002): traction control, ABS, launch control and active suspension are all PROHIBITED - model these cars with NO electronic driver aids.
Engine block
Ford 5.0-litre V8 period-verified
1993 ATCC research (Wikipedia; Supercars.com; Shannons Club) | Autosport The Nostalgia Forum / Technical Forum 'V8 Supercar Engines' (topic 95363), incl. motorsport historian Ray Bell (Grade C, named-source forum history) · Ford raced a purpose-built race block, not the road crate motor: for the 1993 launch Ford successfully applied to run the Ford Motorsport (SVO) block - thicker main webbing and 4-bolt caps - because the standard Falcon crate V8 was not suited to durable race tuning; Windsor-family architecture (302/351W). This SVO race block is the direct ancestor of the later BA-onward 'Yates'/D3 head development (the D3 NASCAR-derived head was developed by Ford engineer Mose Nowland). Windsor-derived 5.0 block with SVO heads (DJR, per 2000 Shell Series spec).
Drivetrain 4/4
Gearbox
Holinger H6S 6-speed period-verified
V8 Supercars Physics Handbook (N. Higginson); Holinger official history; V8 Sleuth | Div C Technical Rules 2002 (AVESCO Operations Manual, OCR of Scopsmanuals scan) C 7.2.5 (H-pattern, non-sequential change mandated) ; CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, Group 3A / 5.0L Touring Car technical regs (period; physical Manuals held by N. Higginson, read 2026-08) ; 1997 CAMS Manual (6-gear cap + H-pattern) · All cars ran the Holinger H6S from 1995 (the privateer Getrag 5-speed was an early-days 1993-94 gearbox only). In period the gearbox was H-pattern (non-sequential): 2002 Div C C 7.2.5 mandated an 'H'-pattern change with a non-sequential mechanical linkage; sequential/electronic-assisted selection was prohibited (sequential shift came to the category later). CAMS Manual (Grade A, period): H-PATTERN gearchange REQUIRED across 1993-2002 (sequential prohibited the whole era). [Max gear-count not yet extracted - N. gave the H-pattern rule but not a gears cap; TBC.] Gearbox rules (CAMS Manual, Grade A, 1993-2002): MAX 6 forward gears + H-PATTERN gearchange required (sequential banned). No MINIMUM gear count -> a 5-speed (e.g. Getrag) was LEGAL, which is why budget privateers ran them; the works 6-speed Holinger H6S was the maximum-gear choice. RESOLVES the five-speed question. 1993-94: the ENTIRE transmission was FREE - gearbox type, ratios AND final drives - the only cap being 6 forward gears + an optional reverse (1993 CAMS Manual, Grade A). The fixed homologated control GEARSET applied from 1995; the 3.25/3.5/3.7 final-drive control set is confirmed for 2002 (Div C C7.4.5).
Gear ratios
Holinger H6S 6-speed (homologated set, identical 1995-2002): 2.571 / 1.989 / 1.665 / 1.351 / 1.138 / 1.000 (6th direct) confirmed
1995 & 1997 CAMS Manuals of Motor Sport (Group 3A gearbox ratios, held by N. Higginson) + 2002 AVESCO Div C C7.2.3 (identical) · Grade A - EXACT tooth counts from the 1997 CAMS Manual, confirmed IDENTICAL in the 1995 CAMS Manual AND the 2002 Div C (C7.2.3), incl. the 22:24 constant mesh. Tooth counts (drive:driven): 1st 14:33, 2nd 17:31, 3rd 19:29, 4th 21:26, 5th 23:24, 6th 1:1 direct; constant mesh 22:24. Overall ratio = (driven/drive gear pair) x constant (24/22 = 1.0909). Homologated CONTROL set (works ran the 6-speed H6S from ~1995). SUPERSEDES the earlier mod-derived approximation (which had 2.000/1.667/1.143 for gears 2/3/5 - the real values are 1.989/1.665/1.138). The 1997 CAMS Manual PRINTS the ratios as 2.57 / 1.99 / 1.66 / 1.35 / 1.14 / 1.00 (2 dp) - directly confirming the tooth-count computation above.
Final-drive options
3.25 / 3.5 / 3.7 confirmed
2002 V8Supercars.com VX & AU specs; 2004 AU/VX specs (FND-011/037) · Period-confirmed for 2002 by the official VX and AU spec pages; the same set is used in the mod gearbox files (Simulator notes)
Differential
9-inch crown wheel & pinion (fabricated assembly, fixed ratios) period-verified
2002 V8Supercars.com VX & AU specs (FND-037); 2004 AVESCO specs · Period-confirmed 2002; early Commodores used a Ford F100 truck 9-inch diff housing
Suspension 6/8
Front type
Double wishbone (adjustable damper, cockpit-adjustable front anti-roll bar) period-verified
2002 V8Supercars.com AU spec (SBR; FND-037); 2004 AU spec · Period-confirmed 2002 - the AU ran a double-wishbone front (vs the Commodore's strut)
Rear type
Live axle, 4-link with Watts linkage period-verified
model_states; 2004 AU spec
Front spring rate
78.8-175.1 (400/500-900/1000 lb; circuit-dependent) N/mm period-verified
Jack Perkins, Perkins Engineering · Real figures are in pounds (Perkins); N/mm shown for engineering use
Rear spring rate
40.3-87.6 (230-500 lb; circuit-dependent) N/mm period-verified
Jack Perkins, Perkins Engineering
Anti-roll bars
Cockpit-adjustable from 1994; 2nd blade ~1999-2000; both blades 2008 period-verified
Jack Perkins, Perkins Engineering · 2008 is post-period
Dampers
Coil-over Ohlins dampers with Eibach springs (front and rear) period-verified
V8 Supercar Konica-series vehicle spec sheet (v8supercars.com /technical/cars, c.2002; harvested Wayback) | Div C Technical Rules 2002 (AVESCO Operations Manual, OCR of Scopsmanuals scan) C 8.6 (shock absorbers) · Ohlins/Eibach per the Konica AU XR8 sheet, corroborated by Gibson Motorsport 2001 AU XR8; make varied by team. Konica development-series sheet (~2002); the main-series works spec of the model's peak years and team fitment may differ. Corroborated by three independent period sources: Gibson Motorsport AU XR8 (2001), the Konica-series AU XR8 sheet (~2002), and 00 Motorsport AU XR8 (2002) — all state Ohlins coil-overs with Eibach springs. Legal damper type (2002 Div C C 8.6, Grade A): one damper per wheel; up to FOUR externally-adjustable characteristics per damper (high/low-speed bump and rebound) plus a separate gas-pressure adjustment; cockpit and electronic adjustment prohibited - i.e. externally-adjustable gas-charged monotube coil-overs.
Front geometry
— unknown
Rear geometry
— unknown
Brakes 5/5
Front disc
370 mm period-verified
Shell Championship Series official site (shellseries.com.au, 2000), via Wayback · DJR Brembo (14 in). Ford/Holden teams on AP calipers ran 375 mm.
Rear disc
330 mm period-verified
Shell Championship Series official site (shellseries.com.au, 2000), via Wayback · DJR Brembo (13 in). AP-equipped cars ran 340 mm.
Front caliper
Brembo 6-piston (DJR 2000); AP 6-piston monoblock used by other teams period-verified
Shell Championship Series official site (shellseries.com.au, 2000), via Wayback · Per the 2000 Shell Series DJR AU spec sheet. Brake make varied by team.
Rear caliper
Brembo 4-piston (DJR 2000); AP 4-piston monoblock on other cars period-verified
Shell Championship Series official site (shellseries.com.au, 2000), via Wayback · Per the 2000 Shell Series DJR AU spec sheet.
Brake pads
Ferodo DS3000 (Perkins Engineering) period-verified
V8 Supercars Physics Handbook (N. Higginson) / Perkins
Wheels & tyres 4/4
Wheel size
Speedline 17 x 11 inch in period-verified
2002 V8Supercars.com AU spec (FND-037); 2004 AVESCO AU spec · Period-confirmed 2002; wheel supplier varied by team (Speedline / O.Z. / others) CAMS Manual (Grade A): 17-inch rim DIAMETER is category-mandated across 1993-2001; wheel width + material pending confirmation. 1994-2002 CAMS Manuals (Grade A, confirmed 1994/1997 + 2002 Div C) wheel envelope: max COMPLETE-wheel (rim+tyre) WIDTH = 12 in (~305 mm, = the 2002 Div C 305 mm limit); max rim diameter 17 in; max complete-wheel diameter 680 mm. Wheel MATERIAL is NOT restricted in the 1997 Manual (magnesium permitted - matches the Speedline/O.Z. magnesium wheels used). Rim width itself is a team choice within the envelope (commonly 11 in).
Tyre supplier
Bridgestone control tyre (1999-2000) confirmed
Supercars 'Our History' - 1999 control-tyre introduction (Albert Park); 2000 Shell Series DJR spec (continuity) · Single-make control-tyre era: Bridgestone (per the 2000 Shell Series DJR spec). Dunlop became the control tyre from 2002 (2002 Div D D1.10.1). Category-wide Bridgestone control tyre introduced at the 1999 Albert Park event. Exact 1999 dimensions/construction/compound/pressures unresolved - do NOT backdate HRT's published 2000 285/40 R17 spec without continuity evidence.
Tyre dimensions
12-inch-wide tyres on 17 x 11 rims period-verified
Standard rolling stock from 1993 (Wikipedia) · CAMS Manual (Grade A): category max tyre overall diameter = 680 mm across 1993-2001. 1994-2002 CAMS Manuals (Grade A) envelope: max complete-wheel width 12 in (~305 mm) and max complete-wheel overall diameter 680 mm (all years).
Tyre construction
Revised 2000 Bridgestone control-tyre specification (carcass / belt / compound construction unresolved) period-verified
Mobil HRT Team Torque, May/June 2000 · New-for-2000 Bridgestone control spec, first documented in competition at Eastern Creek (HRT called it a steep learning curve; Lowndes said HRT began the weekend on the new spec). A spec-revision boundary only - not enough to build the tyre or compute stiffness.
Weight 1/2
Minimum weight
1350 kg confirmed
V8 Supercar Konica-series vehicle spec sheet (v8supercars.com /technical/cars, c.2002; harvested Wayback) ; CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, Group 3A / 5.0L Touring Car technical regs (period; physical Manuals held by N. Higginson, read 2026-08) · Pre-Blueprint category minimum (1350 kg). Konica development-series sheet (~2002); the main-series works spec of the model's peak years and team fitment may differ. CAMS Manual (Grade A, period; N. Higginson's held books, read 2026-08): minimum weight is BARE - WITHOUT fuel, driver or protective apparel. Category timeline: 1300 kg 1993-95, 1325 kg 1996 (PROVISIONAL - 1996 Manual not held), 1350 kg 1997-2002. CORRECTION: the 1995 Manual reads 1300 kg (start of year); 1325 first appears for 1996 - so the earlier '1325 at the 1995 Bathurst 500' framing needs the 1996 book (or a mid-1995 bulletin) to confirm exactly when it changed.
Weight distribution
— unknown
Fuel 1/2
Fuel capacity
120 L confirmed
Div C Technical Rules (2003, harvested): fuel tank max 115 L, TEGA checking vessel 120 L; 2000 cost page; V8 Supercars Physics Handbook (N. Higginson) ; CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, Group 3A / 5.0L Touring Car technical regs (period; physical Manuals held by N. Higginson, read 2026-08) · 120 L MAXIMUM tank capacity, period-confirmed across 1993-2002 (CAMS Manuals, Grade A).
Fuel specification
— unknown
Dimensions 0/3
Wheelbase
— unknown
Front track
— quarantined
Quarantined 1632 mm figure · conflict CON-001
Rear track
— quarantined
Quarantined 1610 mm figure · conflict CON-001
Aerodynamics 2/3
Front aero⚑ variants
AU I: original 1999 shark-fin front with central intake divider (before the mid-2000 parity change) period-verified
Motorsport.com period report, 4 March 1999; HRT Team Torque Issue 1, May 1999; V8 Sleuth AU retrospective; Shannons Club (existing) · Generated more lift than the VT; replaced mid-2000 by the AU II parity front Original AU front spoiler had a sharp, pitch-sensitive leading edge (unstable under braking/accel); the wing-shaped road body generated lift up to ~280 km/h. Shannons Club - "Ford AU Falcon: the wing-shaped supercar that struggled to fly" AU I front (1999 to Round 9, 2000): the original homologated front bar had a sharp "shark-fin" point at its leading edge (centre of the air intake) that made the car pitch-sensitive under braking/acceleration; the under-tray ran back to just ahead of the front wheels. The AU silhouette - shaped "like an aircraft wing" - generated lift at racing speed, which no bolt-on fully cured. Shells built by Peter Beehag's On Track Engineering. Accepted initial AU state, raced at Albert Park under TEMPORARY homologation while final aero approval was unsettled; central shark-fin intake divider. Splitter projection, undertray outline, intake dimensions and rear-wing geometry unresolved. Do NOT confuse with the rejected prototype or the later AU II VT-lower-bumper parity package.
Rear wing⚑ variants
Mandated: large boot-mounted rear wing period-verified
Group 3A rules (Wikipedia)
Downforce / drag map
— unknown
Variants & divergences
The specification above is the selected reference package. In the Group 3A era the body model did not determine the mechanical spec — individual chassis and entrants diverged. Graded leads, to be firmed up against homologation papers and the annual CAMS Manuals.
Ford bespoke AU development aero (rejected) Grade C
Ford's bespoke wind-tunnel-developed AU aero package was REJECTED by TEGA before the 1999 season and must not be shown as the approved race package.
- Front aero
- Bespoke Ford AU development front; rejectedC
- Rear wing
- Bespoke Ford AU development rear; rejectedC
1999 Albert Park temporary homologation Grade C
The AU raced at Albert Park under temporary homologation because the aero kit had not yet received final CAMS approval; period reporting describes an EL-derived package imposed after TEGA rejected Ford's bespoke design.
- Front aero
- EL-derived provisional frontC
- Rear wing
- EL-derived provisional rearC